Many styles of gaming machines and games are known, including casual (or non-wagering) gaming and wager-based gaming. A Latin Video Bingo Game popularly known as an Electronic Video Bingo Game is a game of chance where players purchase bingo cards of multiple monetary values, and are awarded prizes based on the achievement of predetermined patterns.
Latin Video Bingo is played on an electronic gaming machine (“EGM”) on which a player plays a game of bingo where a player selects a number of cards to play and a value of cards to play. A random number generator generates random numbers displayed as bingo balls determining the “draw” of the game from a pool of numbers between one and ninety. Once the first draw or base game is drawn, a subsequent draw is offered to the player where each ball is individually priced and optioned to play by the player.
In the standard Latin Bingo Game played manually on paper as shown in FIG. 1, Latin Bingo Cards or 90 Ball Bingo Cards 110, as such are traditionally known, display a matrix of three rows and five columns, containing fifteen numbers each. A “Series” 120 of cards is known as six cards with no repeated number containing all ninety possible numbers in the draw, having any and all numbers drawn be a hit or marked in one of the six cards purchased (but where less than all 90 numbers are drawn, such that the number of balls which are drawn are all marked and the pattern of matches to the subset of drawn balls on the cards defines the game outcome to the player).
In the Latin Video Bingo format played on Electronic Video Machines (EGM), the game software is programmed to replicate the traditional game of Latin Bingo or 90 Ball Bingo by offering the player the ability to purchase one or more cards 110 without repeated numbers, and drawing the game balls based on the pool of numbers displayed on the cards available, thus replicating the same game experience to the player that every ball is a hit or mark on a card.
Players are awarded prizes based on the achievement of predetermined prize patterns displayed on the game screen as the example in FIG. 2. The achievement of prize patterns based on the random numbers displayed as bingo balls determining the “draw” of the game from a predetermined pool of numbers (where the draw draws a subset of all of the possible numbers, such as 30 of 90 numbers or the like) establishes the game outcome.
As in the traditional Latin Bingo Game played on paper, versions played electronically on Electronic Video Machines (EGM), replicate the simplicity and traditional game of bingo. Contrary to games known as “Slot Machines,” Video Bingo in its essence is a simple game played at fast speeds. One aspect affecting the popularity of the game is RTP %—Return to the player percentages based on the predetermined values on the prizes achieved of the predetermined prize patterns. In particular, one disadvantage to some Latin Bingo games is that the RTP is too low, making the game undesirable to the player.
Thus, the disclosed embodiments relate to game features and enhancements that create a differential game experience to the player resulting in a more exciting and enjoyable game of Latin Video Bingo.